Where "Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy" Comes From
It comes from a real Prime Minister — Malcolm Fraser first used the line publicly in 1969 and kept returning to it through his years as PM in the 1970s and 80s.
He was actually quoting, and cutting short, Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw's 1921 play Back to Methuselah, which really says: "Life is not meant to be easy, my child; but take courage: it can be delightful." Fraser, a wealthy grazier with an Oxford education, dropped the hopeful second half.
When she complained about the queue, he just sighed, "life wasn't meant to be easy."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Often used sarcastically today, pointing out the irony of a wealthy politician telling ordinary Australians to toughen up.
Still trotted out, half-joking, whenever something goes wrong and a bit of stoic resignation is called for.
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